2015 adidas Eurocamp: Day Two

Day two of the adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy included a number of standout performances. More adidas EuroCamp ContentPreview and Roster BreakdownDay One RecapThe second day of the 2015 adidas EuroCamp began with team demonstrations, drills, and controlled scrimmages, followed by an appearance from Euroleague legend Theodoros Papaloukas as a guest speaker. One of the most talented players in the last 15 years to never suit up for an NBA team, the 6'7 point guard called it quits after the 2012-2013 season, with two Euroleague titles under his belt. He did a wonderful job imparting the wisdom from his journey to the talented young players assembled here today. He discussed how much he learned about the importance of work ethic, which he improved on over the course of his career, since he wasn't blessed with great athleticism or shooting ability. He also talked about setting small goals of getting better bit by bit, which really seemed to resonate which the camp in the concise and entertaining manner in which he delivered his message.

Competitive action included appearances from all five of the non-camper teams here as scouts got their first and only look at the players on the adidas Next Generation roster. Adidas decided to let the 1999-born prospects play a competitive game, as opposed to drills, and it made a huge difference ‎in the quality of evaluation the scouts and media were able to get.

Dzanan Musa

Though NBA scouts only had the opportunity to watch him for a few hours, there's no question that Dzanan Musa left a lasting impression on those in attendance. Born in Bihac, Bosnia, but currently playing at the junior level for Croatian power Cedevita Zagreb, Musa is a 6'8 small forward with tremendous all around skills and potential. Leading the 2014 FIBA U16 European Championships in scoring at 22 points per game, despite being one of the youngest players in attendance, Musa poured in 23 points as the adidas Next Generation squad defeated the Benetton U17 team in an extremely competitive and entertaining game.

Already possessing good size and length for the small forward position, Musa looked to assert himself early and often in this game. Flashing a complete offensive game, the smooth, skilled swingman knocked down a number of pull-up jump shots, used his quick first step to get to the rim, and even made some plays on the pick and roll. Finishing the game shooting 6-7 from inside the arc, 1-3 from deep, and 8-8 from the line, Musa was simply outstanding, even showing a willingness to get other players involved despite his success scoring on his own. He has excellent court vision, particularly on the pick and roll, and an advanced understanding of the game for a player so young. Though his catch and shoot jump shooting still has some room to improve, his floor game and shot making ability are extremely impressive for a player who can't even declare for the draft until 2018. He came into this camp with a reputation for being the top talent in the 1999 generation, and did nothing to dispel that notion in Treviso.

As good as Musa was offensively, he was also quite impressive defensively, leading the game in rebounding while playing aggressive perimeter defensive, getting in a low stance, and effectively contesting a number of shots.

An exceptionally mature and polished player despite having never stepped on the floor at the senior level, Musa is a player we'll no doubt be hearing from again down the road. Already carrying himself like an NBA player, he has a degree of confidence (some would say arrogance) which makes him an absolute monster in settings like these against players his own age.

Player Notes

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A player we've seen a number of times over the last few years at various events, Acoydan McCarthy was the other standout for the adidas Next Generation team along with Dzanan Musa. An energetic 6'5 forward with a good feel for the game, McCarthy is still improving his jump shot and is more fluid than explosive, but flashed more consistent shot making ability than we'd seem from him in the past, even if his jump shot is still a work in progress. Finishing with 9 points and 5 rebounds, McCarthy, as he's often been when we've seen him in person, was a key contributor for his team. Competing with Real Madrid at the junior level, the 1999-born swingman will likely make his Spanish Junior National Team debut sooner rather than later as his age group gears up for the 2015 FIBA U16 European Championship.

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A bit of an unknown coming into the Eurocamp, Gabriel Maric was another member of the adidas Next Generation roster who flashed intruiging potential. A long 6'7 wing, the 1999-born Croatia native has good size for his position and a nice shooting stroke. He scored only 3 points in competitive action while pulling down 5 rebounds, and still needs to work on his ball-handling ability and understanding of the game, but seems to have some potential to grow into a prospect down the road. He plays with Zadar at the junior level.

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The lone Italian on the adidas Next Generation roster, Michelle Serpilli is a 6'8, 1999-born power forward with a good frame, and nice fluidity, but promising inside-outside scoring ability, able to shoot the 3 and score from the post a bit, the 16 year old averaged 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game at the 2015 ANGT and a double-double as the Iscar U16 Tournament in Spain a year ago.

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Guerschon Yabusele scored 23 points on 7-13 from the field to go along with 9 rebounds in the early game as the French U20 National Team downed the Greek U19 National Team. A chiseled big man with long arms and excellent athleticism, Yabusele is more than just a bruiser, possessing nice hands and touch around the rim, flashing some ability to create off the bounce, and finishing strong inside, sometimes emphatically. His jump shooting mechanics away from the rim are a work in progress, even if he's a capable shooter, and he forces some shots and drives from the midrange, but it isn't difficult to see why he was able to contribute as a regular starter in the French 2nd division at age 19 averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds for Roanne.

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Coming up with a number of blocks and steals today, the 19 year old also rebounded the ball well, which is significant considering that has been a the knock on him through his career. Built similarly to Jarnell Stokes, but preferring to play facing the basket, it isn't surprising the Yabusele has been so productive through two games against younger, less seasoned competition here. If he can continue to play with the same kind of motor in Pro A next season, his physical tools, budding skill level and intriguing versatility will almost certainly keep him on the NBA radar after what he showed this weekend.

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As good as Axel Bouteille was yesterday and today, this game reinforced why needs to work on his spot up shooting to improve his draft stock. Going 0-4 from 3 he continued to make midrange shots at a nice clip, scoring 16 points on 7-16 shooting overall. With that said, considering only 15% of his field goal attempts were 3-pointers in French League play this season, the 6'6 swingman will need to improve his range as he'd have a harder time scoring inside the arc at the NBA level. Players at his position are expected to be consistent 3-point shooters, so proving he can do that in France in a bigger role for Chalon next season would undoubtedly do wonders for his draft stock.

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For Greece, Konstantinos Mitoglou showed why he has a fairly prominent spot in our rising sophomore rankings. Averaging 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while knocking down 39% of his 3-point attempts in his first year at Wake Forest, the 6'10 power forward scored 18 points today on 4-10 shooting inside the arc, 3-4 from 3-point range, and 1-2 from the line. A skilled, polished offensive player with a pretty stroke from the outside, Mitoglou rebounded well here, but struggled defensively hedging the pick and roll and defending the post. His body appears to have improved quite a bit since enrolling at Wake Forest, which many of the Greeks in attendance noticed immediately, so there may be some hope for him on that end of the floor, but he'll garner interest from NBA scouts thanks to his combination of size and shooting ability.

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One of the more talented players here, Bosnian-born wing Dejan Todorovic has been impressive through the first two days of this year's adidas Eurocamp. Playing rotation minutes at age 17 for ACB club Unicaja's 2nd team in 2012, Todorovic is an extremely aggressive scorer with excellent athleticism, who has been scoring at the pro level for the last four years. With no FIBA experience under his belt, the 6'5 wing hasn't gotten a ton of buzz over the last few seasons as he's done his best work in the Spanish 2nd and 3rd divisions, notably ranking 2nd in the LEB Gold in scoring a year ago.

Moving to talented ACB side Bilbao this season, the well-built swingman averaged 3.6 points per game in a limited role over his first full season in the first division. He's done a good job reminding teams just how talented he is here in Treviso. Using his quickness and explosiveness to blow by opposing defenders in the half court while also knocking down a couple jumpers despite his less than stellar mechanics, Todorovic is never shy about trying to make plays. He gets a bit out of control at times, but also comes through with some nice passes to set the table for others. Opting not to declare for the 2015 NBA Draft, Todorovic is a player to watch as he'll be automatically eligible next season. If he can find a consistent jump-shot (his mechanics have wavered here at the camp), he will get some very strong looks.

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Diego Flaccadori was solidand entertainingonce again today creating off the dribble and knocking down some difficult shots from the outside, but his 11 points weren't enough to save the Eurocamp All-Stars from defeat against the adidas US Select Team. He's a smooth, creative and somewhat wild combo who can create his own shot by changing speeds beautifully, and hits jumpers with pull-ups and spot-ups. He needs to improve his ability to finish around the rim, as well as his perimeter defense, but has done a nice job of showing his strengths here and will be a player to watch once he starts seeing playing time in the first division.

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A top-15 player in the class of 2016, Edrice Adebayo has made an impression here with his tremendous athletic ability. He's a bit stuck between the four and five spots standing between 6'9 and 6-10 with long arms, even if he's currently lacking a degree of skill, but is an efficient, and highly productive big man. Able to play well above the rim with ease, the Northside HS (NC) standout looks to tear the rim down every time he touches the ball inside. Shooting 68% while scoring 15 points and pulling down 8.9 rebounds per game on the adidas Gauntlet circuit for Team Loaded NC, Adebayo is a physical interior presence not unlike NBA player J.J. Hickson. Making an impact on the glass, competing, and even tossing in a hook shot, Adebayo isn't particularly polished at this stage, but he's one of the main reasons this US Select Team is undefeated through two games. His tremendous frame, athleticism and motor makes him extremely intriguing as a long-term NBA prospect, and once his feel for the game and skill-level improves, he has a chance to establish himself as one of the best big men in his high school class.‎

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Fast rising 2016 recruit Frank Jackson had a nice showing today, scoring 12 points. A 6'3 point guard from Utah powerhouse Lone Peak HS, Jackson likes to attack off the dribble and score inside the arc. Averaging a tremendous 23.5 points per game for the Utah Prospects in the adidas Gauntlet, Jackson is a terrific scorer who is still developing as a lead guard. Knocking down shots from the inside and out while probing the defense with changes of speed, Jackson's scoring instincts are clear, but so are his rudimentary playmaking skills. Getting careless with the ball at times and not always getting the US Select Team organized in the half court, Jackson is an obvious talent who lacks a degree of polish and experience at the moment. Ranked right on the cusp of 5-star status by many recruiting services, Jackson can put himself over the top if he can make strides as a floor general. He's extremely intelligent and has some great natural gifts, so it's likely only a matter of time until everything comes together for him.